The following presents a simplified summary of the general inventive concept herein to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the invention. This summary is not an extensive overview of the invention. It is not intended to restrict key or critical elements of the invention or to delineate the scope of the invention beyond that explicitly or implicitly described by the following description and claims.
In one aspect, there is provided a modular unit for assembling, in multiples thereof, an aerial emergency fluid delivery boom for use in aerial emergency activities. The modular unit comprises an emergency fluid supply passage segment extending along an alignment path. An emergency fluid delivery plenum is downstream of, and in operative fluid communication with, the emergency fluid supply passage segment, the plenum including an air inlet and an air outlet for delivering emergency fluid under gravity thereto, in a designated operative form according to a corresponding emergency activity. The modular unit is configured for contiguous engagement with at least one other instance of the modular unit to form the aerial emergency fluid delivery boom, with the corresponding emergency fluid supply passage segments aligned along the alignment path and sealingly engaged at adjacent ones of the boundaries to form an assembled emergency fluid supply passage to receive a flow of said emergency fluid from an upstream source and to distribute the emergency fluid to each of the corresponding plenums.
Some exemplary embodiments further comprise a housing, the emergency fluid supply passage segment extending laterally across the housing with the open ends formed on opposite boundaries thereof.
In some exemplary embodiments, the plenum has a longitudinal axis transverse to the emergency fluid supply passage segment.
Some exemplary embodiments further comprise a reservoir configured to be in operative fluid communication with the emergency fluid supply passage segment for receiving emergency fluid therefrom and to deliver the emergency fluid to the plenum.
Some exemplary embodiments further comprise a pressurizing portion operatively associated with the inlet for pressuring the air flow through the plenum.
In some exemplary embodiments, the pressurizing portion is active.
In some exemplary embodiments, the pressurizing portion is passive.
Some exemplary embodiments provide an aerial firefighting distributor apparatus which includes multi-modular units held together to form the new aerial firefighting system and these modular units can work together or independently. The multi-modular system comprises one or more individual modular units, including one or more of a fluid conduit, a reservoir, air flow generator, a support structure, an aerial suspension system and an aerial lift system.
There has thus been outlined some of the features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter.
It is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction or to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of the description and should not be regarded as limiting. The use of “including,” “comprising,” or “having” and variations thereof herein is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additional items. Unless limited otherwise, the terms “connected,” “coupled,” and “mounted,” and variations thereof herein are used broadly and encompass direct and indirect connections, couplings, and mountings. In addition, the terms “connected” and “coupled” and variations thereof are not restricted to physical, mechanical or electrical connections or couplings. Furthermore, and as described in subsequent paragraphs, the specific mechanical and/or other configurations illustrated in the drawings are intended to exemplify embodiments of the invention. However, other alternative mechanical and/or electrical or other configurations are possible which are considered to be within the teachings of the instant disclosure.
Thus, exemplary embodiments may provide a multi-modular aerial firefighting control method and apparatus for providing a firefighter with alternative and/or improved methods to control fire, and/or provide a firefighter with safer and easier methods to control fire, and/or to provide a firefighter with other methods and/or devices to control fire, or for other applications as discussed herein.
Thus, exemplary embodiments may also provide a multi-modular aerial distribution method and apparatus that is configured to distribute chemicals or fluids for agriculture, oil containment, de-icing, or weather control purposes.